Impressions: Jammit Classic Rock Track Pack Volume 1

Rhythm games are great for letting you emulate your favorite rocker, DJ, or even dancer – if you even have a favorite dancer. However, they haven’t gone far in the way of actually teaching you how to perform on an instrument. Still, there are many useful applications that can be utilized in order to put those skills we like to pretend we have in-game to the test. One application in particular is the Jammit series, iPhone apps that come bundled with song packages that strive to teach would-be rockers exactly how to perform some of their favorite songs.

The Jammit Classic Rock Track Pack Volume 1, for instance, is coupled with three tracks, one of which includes the quintessential rock track “Smoke on the Water” from Deep Purple. While would-be rockstars can simply listen to the song that’s included with this download, the app also provides a profuse amount of aid in order to express musical comprehension of the songs included in each package. When you choose a song, in this case Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen,” you’ll be presented with the option to begin playing the song for an aural reference. The key you need to play the song in will also be displayed so you can begin to sound pitch-perfect.

Several other resources are available within the app as well, such as the tablature for the song you’ve selected as well as an explorer where you can rewind or fast forward to an exact part of the song that you want to work on. As the song plays you can see the tablature flash on several different pages in real-time, allowing you to study and memorize what goes into each song to make it the top hit that it is. You may also play around with the track levels of each song, such as bass, vocals, and drums in order to really focus on the guitar track. As you can gather, Jammit is essentially a more technologically-advanced method of teaching yourself how to play popular rock songs than relying on sheet music or tabs found online. You can also record your guitar-playing for additional functionality, but you’ll need Apple’s optional microphone headset if you want to use it with an iPod Touch.

Jammit utilizes master recordings of each song and has released several packs already, each featuring different artists and diverse styles of music rather than simply classic rock, grunge, or hard rock. However, each package is only bundled with three songs. Upon receipt of the Classic Rock pack, I assumed it would be a lite version of a larger package that would contain more songs, but I was wrong. For the steep price Jammit is offered at, I think it’s hardly worth the value. Last time I checked, I could get several songs for under $6.99 and while the product as a whole is largely useful, it’s not worth this chunk of change to be limited to learning the intricacies of just three different song structures.

If you need extra help beyond books or the internet for three classic rock tracks, Jammit Classic Rock Track Pack Volume 1 is a viable alternative, but only if you want to be limited to a trio of songs sans the guitar basics. If you’re just starting out on guitar, you’re going to want to stick with lessons or at the very least an app that starts with the fundamentals of guitar. For advanced guitarists who just want to add a few songs to your repertoire, check Jammit out, but only when it’s gone on sale.

Pfhor the Who?

Brittany Vincent is an accomplished video game and freelance entertainment writer whose work has been featured in esteemed publications and online venues in the realm of video games, entertainment, and more.

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I am Editor-in-Chief of Modojo. I can also be seen at Shacknews, Crunchyroll, Anime Now, Geek.com, and more -- including print publications like Otaku USA, MyM Magazine, Official Xbox Magazine, GamesMaster, and more.